Dealerscope 2018 Hall of Fame Inductee: Dinesh Paliwal

Coming into the role of President and CEO at a new company is no easy task, no matter what industry you’re talking about. There are so many nuances and personalities that you have to learn how to navigate—as well as the company culture and the new industry that you have to get used to.

Now, imagine trying to do all of that while also being the first person at the helm to not have a last name that matches the name of the company. That’s the exact scenario that Dinesh Paliwal faced when he was hired as President and CEO of Harman International in 2007, succeeding company co-founder Sidney Harman.

“He founded this great company in 1953, built an amazing portfolio of brands, built himself deep into the professional audio world,” Paliwal said. “Of course, he got into automotive—he had the foresight and vision that automotive would be a big market, so he got in in 1999. The rest is history. Today, we are the icon when it comes to professional audio in cars or in venues. We are the leading company who supplies to the digital cockpit in the automotive industry.”

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